This study examined the questions of what alterations to teacher preparation programs are needed to better accommodate the older, second career person. Focus of the study was on a group of students who had been recruited from industry into a special science/mathematics teacher preparation program. Recommendations for teacher education program…

The research aimed to determine instructors' and adult students' perceptions of differences in men and women students' classroom behavior in higher education classes. A questionnaire was developed consisting of items representing classroom behaviors, personal attributes, a measure of overall student participation (not used in this analysis), and…

A June 1990 survey was used to determine characteristics and aspirations of University of the Third Age (U3A) participants in Australia. The overall response rate was 73 percent. The three parts of the survey questionnaire collected information regarding wider adult education questions such as educational background, extent of activity in leisure…

Through in-depth interviews, the motivation and experience of 40 Elderhostel participants, aged 60 to 80, were studied and personal stories were collected. This information was analyzed within the framework of relevant psychosocial and gerontological theory and research. The findings identified some general characteristics of the population,…

This short book, based on the Swedish experience, explores the concept and the operation of study circles. The book is organized in nine sections. The first section looks at the various definitions of study circles in history and the literature, arriving at a broad working concept of study circles. This is followed by an overview of the…

The issue of assessing adult learning prior to formal college level study is examined and presented in this handbook. The handbook offers guidelines for setting standards, provides a review of some of the proven techniques and practices that have been used to evaluate previous learning, addresses a series of issues relevant to particular subject…

A study examined the attitudes of older college students toward older college instructors. A total of 262 students (who were either previously or currently enrolled in college classes) between the ages of 26 and 80 were asked to complete a 25-item attitude scale. The scale was designed to reflect respondents' attitudes concerning older teachers,…

Many researchers have investigated the factors that keep adults from participating in continuing education or "lifelong learning." Most of the studies have identified factors--previous educational experience, race, ethnic group, and others--that make adults less likely to be participants in schooling. However, the barriers may actually be more…

Attitudes held by younger and older students in mixed-age college classes were surveyed, as were the attitudes of teachers toward the mixed-age classes. Seven campuses in the University of Wisconsin system participated in the survey. Findings for the faculty included the following: faculty preferred an age-mix in class; almost all faculty…

Cognitive structuring was implemented by showing 30 subjects a 10-minute videotape that presented Holland's (1985) model of the world of work before they used an interactive computer-assisted guidance system (DISCOVER). The effect of prior structuring was assessed in terms of a subject's representation of the world of work, occupational certainty,…

Disruptive behavior, which can range from tardiness to violence against classmates or staff members, is a growing problem in adult basic education (ABE). Many feel that this is because ABE programs have begun serving young adults below the age of 18 who are quite different from their more mature classmates both psychologically and emotionally.…

Teaching adults in the higher education context can be frustrating because higher education is often not flexible enough to provide an environment conducive to self-directed learning. Also, both faculty and students must adjust their learning and teaching preferences to an experiential, problem-exploring style that has often been contradicted by…

The locus of control orientations and value priorities of 289 adult learners (115 males and 174 females) engaged in professional continuing education programs within schools of business and education were assessed by means of the Rotter Internal-External Scale and the Rokeach Value Survey. Two-way analyses of variance indicated that males across…

This booklet is intended to assist persons interested in forming a student-centered adult basic education study group. The first section provides an overview of the skills taught in basic education programs. A section on approaches and attitudes emphasizes the importance of the following concepts to basic education groups: allowing students to…

Courses that address the needs of adult learners to better understand marketplace issues and options and to develop effective financial planning, management and decision-making skills are fairly common in community, technical, and junior colleges. A study was conducted to determine the status of such consumer-related studies, identify colleges…